


Live Wire

by DollyPop



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Het Relationship, F/M, Pre-Canon, Teen Romance, Teen Years, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 14:37:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6989281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DollyPop/pseuds/DollyPop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was the most incompatible soul the DWMA had seen in years, a Mjolnir to the marrow, and yet she embraced Stein’s soul with an ease that left her shuddering. Even Kami struggled with resonating with her, yet here was this arrogant, terrifying pipsqueak, making Marie downright crackle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Live Wire

When Kami explained it to her, it all made sense. Marie understood, of course, that Spirit was in dire need of a new partner, that he went through something traumatic. Marie wasn’t going to argue against any of that: she’s witnessed all too many moments when Spirit cringed away from his pale ex-Meister in the DWMA halls that Marie often got lost in.

That didn’t explain why Kami specifically had to be his partner.

Sure, they were dating. And sure, it made sense because they were already so clearly compatible, and Spirit even suited Kami’s fighting style, medium-range, far better than her hammer friend, who was clumsy at anything that wasn’t immediate contact. But everyone knew Marie would have a hard, if not impossible time finding another Meister.

But Kami was so excited, and Spirit got to jump from being wielded by one skilled person to another. They were the best possible match, and Lord Death even gave his blessing, so how could she be so selfish as to deny them their happiness?

Even if it left Marie all by her lonesome.

Lord Death assured her that there were plenty of weapons who didn’t have Meisters: Azusa herself was in the rotational curriculum, because of her flexible soul, so she didn’t have a permanent Meister, either.

Yet, Marie didn’t know how to wield herself. And the remedial lessons with Ms. Satine Morningstar were wearing her down more and more recently, what with the lack of sleep she was getting. And she didn’t have a compatible soul by any stretch of the imagination.

She wasn’t used to living in such an empty apartment.

Marie sighed, her eyelids feeling heavy while Ms. Morningstar called out roll for Class Crescent Moon.

The woman smiled when she was finished, snapping her book shut with a dull thud.

“Alright class, we’re going outside, today,” she said, clapping her hands twice. Most of the students hummed in excitement. It could only mean that they were going to have battle rounds, which only ever happened once a month. A quick spar, never against the same people to get safe practice in with weapons and general anxiety relief.

One would think that being in EAT, they’d see their fair share of fighting and be satisfied. But Marie had always loved the spars before.

Back when she had a Meister.

She just wasn’t advanced enough in her lessons to wield herself properly, so she, seemingly the anomaly, groaned, knowing she’d just have to sit on the side and watch everyone else. Kami gave her a look from across the room, having moved next to Spirit, and it was apologetic but not regretful. Marie sunk down in her seat, thankful that there was just an empty space where Spirit’s ex-Meister would sit, had he not been strategically relocated, via their teacher’s stern voice, to the very front of the room where she could keep an eye on him at all times.

Safety precautions. Everyone understood, of course.

But…he didn’t seem dangerous. Everyone always whispered about him, but Marie never paid much mind to it. From the back, he just looked like a pale wisp of a boy. She’d heard rumors that he’d sent kids to the infirmary, but then again, so had she.

It didn’t seem like he could cut open someone multiple times over the course of a few years. Marie was only 14 but she was usually a good read of people. Yet, she knew it must have been true: Spirit wouldn’t have left a partnership when he was so close to becoming a Death Scythe, especially not when he had to start from scratch with Kami.

Marie sighed. She knew how he felt. She had to do the same, after all, by herself.

She didn’t even want to stand up as the students all chattered, excitedly running to the door. At Ms. Morningstar’s look, Marie got up with the rest of the class, all of them leaving in pairs save for the two abandoned teens, one weaponless, one Meisterless. Marie cringed, following the class from the rear.

Ms. Morningstar was whispering something to the pale kid, Steve? Marie couldn’t remember. Spirit only ever referred to him as his partner, and he never raised his hand to answer anything in class. Their teacher wasn’t one to push her students too far outside of their comfort zones, and Spirit always mentioned how smart his partner was before he found out that he was being used a guinea pig, so Marie figured the gray-haired boy’s test scores made up for his lack of participation.

He always wiped the floor with anyone who fought against him, too. That much was plain as day. He and Spirit had been a force to be reckoned with. Marie always dreaded the next month of class, afraid to go up against the typhoon of power that the two seemed to possess.

She had nothing to be nervous for. And, seemingly, nothing to look forward to, as well. Kami always stood above the rest as well, and Marie suspects that Ms. Morningstar never paired them in spars simply because the damages would be too great. That was why she was both terrified as well as excited when she found out that Kami would be going up against him.

Not anymore. Kami had a new partner, and Spirit’s old partner was out of commission.

When the entire group finally made it outside, Marie couldn’t even see her teacher over the heads of those who were so much taller than her. She was a rather small girl, always was, and it was foolish of her to be in the back, but it was too late to elbow her way to the front. Why would she, anyway? It wasn’t as though she had a reason to be there.

It was all too bitter a thought.

“Well, class. You know the rules! No weapons to the face, no pudding cups used as impromptu instruments of destruction, melee is allowed, as per usual.” There was a small pause before she continued on with her usual speech, the dialogue unchanging. “Sparring partners have not changed since last assignment.”

Marie’s eyes widened. Everyone seemed to move away from her, because suddenly she could see her teacher, with the pale kid in front of her, looking uninterested. The atmosphere was strained, and Marie was sure if she looked over at Kami, the other girl’s eyes would be narrowed. Mrs. Morningstar continued on, as though she didn’t feel the still constant blood-lust bouncing around, as well as the fear from Spirit. Everyone assumed the pale kid would sit out along with Marie, considering she was impossible to wield, and the class didn’t have any other spare, easily utilized partners.

“We’ve all heard about the recent switch-a-roo that happened. Assigned opponents are by Meister, so Spirit, Marie, just follow your partner’s lead.”

Marie’s eyebrows furrowed. No way. No how. She blinked at her teacher, stepping forward. “Ms. Morningstar…um-“

“It’s okay, Marie. For today, you can be paired with Stein. He’s in need of a partner, as well,” the professor said, gently, though not without the obvious sternness of a woman who expected orders to be followed through. The boy, Stein, she supposed, was looking at Marie intently, his eyes focusing around her throat area.

Something flashed in his eyes, and she had the distinct feeling of being visually dissected. Marie shuddered, hesitating before she nodded, stepping forward and away from the group that quickly scrambled to pair up in their respective areas, though they were clearly looking at her. Kami stared at her friend before she held her hand out and caught Spirit as he transformed, the red-head looking grim before he became a scythe.

Marie looked down. Everyone knew she was one of the hardest weapons to wield. She’d soul rejected many a Meister in her day, one of the worst feelings. The sharp shock she’d give out, being too heavy to even lift, too charged to even touch.

What was so wrong with her? She didn’t understand why she was so incompatible with everyone.

Kami had been a lucky find, worthy, as her mother would say. But now that she was without a permanent partner, the thought of yet another soul rejection was weighing heavily on her tiny shoulders. Regardless, she figured she should get the ordeal over with, and she took a deep breath in before she glanced up again.

Death, he almost gave her a heart attack.

Stein was directly in front of her, jolting her straight to her Mary Janes, silent as a tombstone. And she could just feel that everyone was looking, some in amusement, others, pity. Kami was out of her sight, so Marie couldn’t even look to her friend for comfort when she gave off an undignified squeak.

Stein paid her reaction no mind. His voice was flat when he spoke, and low, so no one could hear them. He knew all about her problems with partners in the past.

“Transform,” he told her, and she winced.

He treated her like she was already a weapon, like she was inanimate, or something, and it made her feel like a current was running through her very bones. She squished her mouth over to the side, resisting the urge to glower.

She kind of hoped she shocked the hell out of him when he tried to pick her up and failed. And she did believe he would fail. High test scores, powerful, or no.

“Hello to you, too,” she responded, her high voice coming out snarky. Still, no reaction from Mr. Monochrome. He could blend in with a piece of paper, she swears. Hadn’t he ever heard of contrasting colors?

“Hello,” he said, flatly. Then, his eyes shifted down from her face and her eyes widened when she realized where his look settled.

The pervert. How dare he?

He was staring her chest with mass levels of concentration and Marie’s blood boiled. Of all times? And so blatantly, in front of everyone! Marie snarled, her face hot, furiously swinging a punch at his face.

When his hand grabbed her wrist, she didn’t expect the strange feeling of his wavelength running against her skin, leaving her in goosebumps. She gasped when she felt the flare of his soul, her own being tentatively smoothed over, matched. She didn’t even realize that she was transforming, her handle settling, neatly, right into his palm.

Had he…done that?

He must have, the smug bastard. He was smirking like no one’s business.

He was actually holding her. As if she weighed nothing at all. Her surprise outweighed every other feeling.

The entire class was staring at them without even trying to hide it, anymore, and something was curious about Ms. Morningstar’s face. She looked as though she expected the outcome, like she was pleased with the development. Obviously, she hadn’t heard their conversation. Maybe she mistook Marie’s swinging fist for an invitation of transformation.

It didn’t matter. She was in Stein’s hands and Ms. Morningstar seemed overjoyed with the development.

“Excellent, Stein! And good job as well, Marie. Of course, I expected no different.”

Stein turned to look at where their teacher was, and Marie caught a glimpse of Kami, the scythe-Meister glaring like she was about to face down a Kishin egg. When Stein’s eyes caught the other girl’s, Marie could sense his smugness all but radiating from him.

Even if he wasn’t wielding her, she assumed that she would be able to feel it. It felt distinctly like he wanted to thumb his nose at their sparring partners.

Ms. Morningstar gave him a look, her eyes flicking to Kami as well.

“Play fair, students,” was all she said before Stein walked to their designated area and stared Kami down, his glasses glinting.

Geez, he was shorter than the scythe-wielder, too. Glares weren’t supposed to be so intimidating when someone had to look up to deliver them. Kami’s face was dark, her lower lip caught in her teeth while she brought Spirit to a defensive stance in front of her.

“Stein,” Kami hissed out, but the boy merely grinned, his face stretched strangely.

Kami had an even shorter temper than Marie did, and that was saying something. Just Stein’s expression was enough to provoke her, and the pig-tailed girl rushed forward, swinging Spirit in a smooth line toward Stein. His grin deepened, and he brought Marie up to deflect Spirit’s blade, quickly jumping back as soon as the scrape was heard.

Her friend hesitated, her face conflicted when she saw that she just hit Marie.

‘Soul Resonance,’ Stein told her, and she felt it throughout her entire being all at once.

She was the most incompatible soul the DWMA had seen in years, a Mjolnir to the marrow, and yet she embraced Stein’s soul with an ease that left her shuddering. Even Kami struggled with resonating with her, yet here was this arrogant, terrifying pipsqueak, making Marie downright crackle.

There was a warmth to it, and their resonance brought sparks to the air itself. From her weapon form, Marie was breathless, her lightning sparking through her and through Stein. There was a certain ease to it that she just couldn’t explain, a complicated effortlessness to it all.

And Stein looked…at peace. Her wavelength, no doubt, being woven between the two of them. The creepy grin on his face diminished, and his eyes were softer, less jagged looking. Kami snarled, the static in the air frizzing up her hair before she charged forward once more, fury in every muscle.

Stein was brought back to the spar immediately but he didn’t swing at Kami. He didn’t swing at Spirit either, and his palms had a charge to them. She felt like she was made of lightning, and their resonance was a current, his naturally electric soul shifting and latching into her, being amplified and filtered as pure force.

He adjusted his hold on her, utilizing his small stature to duck under Spirit’s sharp blade, which skimmed a few strands of his hair and he slammed Marie right to the floor beneath Kami’s feet.

The resounding noise splintered through everything, forcing half the students to stop when they felt the quake. Kami lost her balance immediately, stumbling backward before she tripped, landing on her side. Where she once stood was obliterated, the ground crumbles and dust. And Stein didn’t waste any time: his palms were sizzling with energy, and he ran toward Kami, kicking Spirit to the side with his foot, forcing a sharp clatter when the boy’s weapon-form skid across the floor, before he bent, getting low to ground, aiming to throw his hand against Kami’s abdomen.

When the collision occurred, nothing happened for a moment. There was a harsh buzz in Marie’s ears, her feelings set on edge and amplified, and then everything broke open when she saw that he had missed, purposefully or otherwise, and the spot next to Kami had been demolished, Stein’s arm up to the elbow giving off frantic hisses of electricity.

Marie tasted copper in her mouth, and the entire world was still for a moment when Stein looked at Kami and the fury in her friend’s face was so heated and full of hatred that Marie felt something in her chest throb. Stein’s soul flared as though in comfort, and she welcomed it as naturally as if she were created to.

She felt like a streak of lightning.

She felt alive.

**Author's Note:**

> Finally uploading the last of what I wrote for SteinMarie week! This one was for the prompt "Electricity"!


End file.
